People collect vintage cookbooks for so many different reasons, it would impossible to name them all here. Collecting vintage or antique cookbooks is a great way to peek into the personal side of history. Reading and using cookbooks, especially older cookbooks, is a great way to experience that personal connection with the past.

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Steps

1

Learn about how books are rated according to their condition. The following terms are used by booksellers when selling any used book, including cookbooks, to let the buyer know the book's condition. The following information is quoted from Wikipedia:

As New is self-explanatory. It means that the book is in the state that it should have been in when it left the publisher. The is the equivalent of Mint condition in numismatics.

Fine (F or FN) is As New but allowing for the normal effects of time on an unused book that has been protected. A fine book shows no damage.

Very Good (VG) describes a book that is worn but intact. For many collectors this is the minimum acceptable condition for all but the rarest items.

Good (G) is not very good. It is used to describes the condition of an average used worn book that is complete.

Fair shows wear and tear but all the text pages and illustrations or maps are present. It may lack endpapers, half-title, and even the title page. This is a reading copy.

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2

Focus on collecting a single subject or author. A single collection could feature books about Jello or Pillsbury Bake-Off Cookbooks. Start collecting Betty Crocker cookbooks or perhaps Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks. You might want to collect the Fanny Merritt Farmer Boston Cooking School Cookbook, published in the late 1800s, as this was the first cookbook that offered standardized measurements.

3

Appreciate what cookbooks from different eras have to offer. Whatever your niche, find it. It makes finding what you're looking for so much easier.

4

Discover that cookbooks from the early 1900's. Cookbooks from that time period reflected how women wanted more recognition. Cookbooks reflected a more scientific approach to cooking. That's when exact measurements came out. Sanitation and cleanliness facts were made made available to home cooks in a way it hadn't before. How did they do that exactly? How did they get the information to the masses? In cookbooks of course! The majority books that were published were authored by women for women readers.They were really the only type books that were semi controlled by women. They were the decision makers of the home and cookbooks were a great way to change how society as whole thought.

5

Cookbooks continued to reflect the times. Cookbooks from the 1920's are known for their amazing illustrations and if your lucky enough to find any with information regarding World War I they always desirable.

Cookbooks from the 1930's are gems for the obvious reasons. These women had to do it all, maintaining life as normally as possible, but with the drastic change of income. These are where some amazing stories and recipes can be found. Reading those cookbooks makes you humble and grateful!

Cookbooks from the 1940's are great! There are great dinner party and hostessing ones at about this time. If you can find some of the World War II related ones they're super fascinating to read. The rationing chapters that are usually added to the bigger name cookbooks can sneak through a dealers eyesight and can be picked up for a steal if you know what you're looking for. Usually very patriotic in illustrations and general theme. They're also valuable because of cross-collectability.

Cookbooks from the 1950's are great for the retro lovers in all of us. With pictures of women in pearls standing over stoves and happy families around the breakfast table, they make you happy and smile just looking at them. Be prepared to read recipes for gelatin salads and Americanized chop suey.

6

Plan ahead. You also might decide to collect what you think is going to be popular in 20 to 30 years. That's a great way to ensure long term success and view your collection as more of an investment versus a hobby. They're a a lot of people who decide to sell an entire collection once it's complete. Some collections could be books collected over a 40 to 50 year time frame. Both ways are very profitable.

7

Research the authors and who they are. There are so many informative articles that go into the history of what makes a book so valuable. Maybe it's the illustrations and cover art or it's the first printing of a recipe classic. Condition is a huge deal and always buy the best you can afford. Mistake printings can also contribute to a book's value just like baseball cards. There's always a reason to a books value and most of the time vendors don't do the research on all the books they have for sale, but you can walk in and know exactly what you're looking for and a know that your paying for something that is way under priced! It's a good feeling and oh so addicting!

8

Be prepared to pay the price. Just because a price guide said it was worth a certain price doesn't mean that's what it's going for. A book is worth only what someone is willing to pay for it, just remember that if you're thinking of selling later. Just because it's old doesn't mean it's valuable or rare.

9

Use caution. The same word of caution goes for looking up a books price online. There are scams going on on a certain search shopping site where the seller lists the book way overpriced and then lists it again at a more normal price to make theirs look like a steal. Find someone knowledgeable and transparent in prices and ask them questions.

10

Know where to look. Sometimes you find books in the weirdest places. Estate sales are goldmines but get there early as the cookbooks could sell out fast.

Subscribe to a cookbook collectors newsletter. The Cookbook Collectors Newsletter and the Cookbook Collector are just two of the newsletter available. Search the web for more ideas.

13

Don't forget family. Grandma or other older relatives may have the vintage cookbook you desire.

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Tips

You can get a feel for whether or not you're going to find anything in vendors stall just by reading a couple titles. Do not spend two hours in every stall or store reading every title!

Be careful of some online auction sites. Some people unload their not-so-good stuff online making the description of the condition sound acceptable and then end up having a no return policy when you find out that the description was sugar-coated. On the flip side you can get amazing steals this way also, it is a gamble but sometimes it's the only way to get your hands on some of the big names. Sometimes you have to start at the bottom of the condition ladder, if that's the only thing you can afford. Ask for pics though, the seller should be happy to oblige even if you ask for 20 more pics!

Usually in the book collecting world writing and personalizing in the copy would decrease the value but that's not the case with cookbooks. The average cookbook collector values the personal touches and the little notes next to the recipes.

Buy what you like. Think about what if I never sell this book will you be happy to keep it forever. If you happy with book, and you wish to keep it forever, it's a win-win situation.